Seattle Seahawks favored to beat San Francisco 49ers in NFC championship game

The Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers are about as evenly matched as fans could hope for, but the Hawks are favored in Vegas to win Sunday’s NFC title game by 3.5 points.

Obviously, it is impossible to say whether this is an accurate spread, but there are several factors we can look at to give us an idea of where the teams stand as the big game approaches.

(Associated Press)

The teams use similar formulas to achieve their success. Seattle (14-3) and San Francisco (14-4) have both used strong defensive play and balanced offensive attacks to get to this point.

Both teams employ the use of mobile, dual-threat quarterbacks in Seattle’s Russell Wilson (3,357 passing yards, 539 rushing yards) and S.F.’s Colin Kaepernick (3,197 passing, 524 rushing). Both teams have elite, All-Pro caliber running backs in Marshawn Lynch and Frank Gore. And both teams boast at least one core defensive unit that can be considered tops in the league.

In the case of San Francisco, its linebacker trio of Patrick Willis, Navarro Bowman and Ahmad Brooks is by and large considered the best in football. Likewise, the Seahawks’ defensive backfield that includes Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor is widely considered to be the deepest, most well-rounded secondary in the game. Each team can get after the quarterback and force a lot of turnovers, as well.

So, why are the Seahawks favored in Vegas? After all, last time the two sides played, the 49ers were able to notch a 19-17 victory at Candlestick Park. And there isn’t really a concrete statistical disparity that would suggest the Seahawks are inherently superior.

The home-field advantage factor is an important one to consider. Everyone should know by now that CenturyLink Field is one of the toughest places to play in the league, from a noise perspective.

Kaepernick did not perform well in Seattle this season or last. In 2013, during the Seahawks’ 29-3 beatdown of San Francisco in Week 2, he was 13-for-28 for a meager 127 yards and 3 interceptions. The combination of Seattle’s superior record, its division championship and its undeniable home-field advantage make a 3.5-point spread seem fairly reasonable.

Of course, point spreads can only tell you so much and are far from infallible. However, one thing is for sure: No matter what the spread is, this Sunday’s game features two of the most elite, evenly matched teams in the NFL throwing down for a shot at the Super Bowl.